Get the pitch forks and fire ready. With all the buzz surrounding the new Stars Wars: The Force Awakens release later this year had me thinking more about Star Wars lore. My thoughts wondered who were the most popular Star Wars characters ever. So today let’s take a shot at naming the top 10 popular Star Wars characters using episodes 1 thru 6. Before the flame wars kick off in the comments this list does not include the Expanded Universe. This countdown will be strictly based on the films, minus the Star Wars Christmas specials. This will be a very challenging poll to write with just 10 spots open. With all that said let’s start the countdown to discover Who Are The 10 Most Popular Star Wars Characters Ever? Spoiler alert…Jar Jar Binks does not make this list (sorry). Drum roll……

10. Chewbacca- Let’s start this list off with our favorite Wookie. What list would be complete without Han Solo best bud. Chewbacca is over 200 years old and looks awesome in the new Star Wars Awakens teaser trailer but what a few fans do not realize is that a Wookie can live for 400 years so Chewbacca has a few years to go before he’ll need “Just For Men” hair dye for his fur! Chewbacca hails from the planet Kashyyk and even with his medal snub at the end of the Stars Wars: A New Hope he is still a winner in my book. With Chewbacca the Galactic Republic could have easily fell to the evil empire! We await our much loved furry friend next adventures in the new Star Wars Awakens film.

9. R2-D2/C-3P0-(We cheated here with a two for one) Without doubt we have to add our two favorite droids to the list. These two are the best tag team on film. These two are always in the thick of the action and some of the funniest mishaps in the Star Wars universe. I really enjoyed these two in the exceptional 2008 animated Clone Wars TV series. From R2-D2 relaying a vital message from Princess Leia to Obi-Wan Kenobi or C-3PO losing head in the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (film) epic arena Jedi lightsaber overload these two are still among the most popular Star Wars favorites!

8. Emperor Palatine-The Emperor is one of my favorite Sith bad guys and excellently played by the stage actor Ian McDiarmid. I promise I will not mention his full name Sheev Palpatine during this post. Thanks to Robot Chicken, the name “Sheev” will live with me forever. Beyond his hilarious first name, the Emperor cannot be underestimated. The 2014 Clone Wars episode (Netflix) that demonstrates his shear power was the episode he took on Darth Maul and his brother Savage Opress. Nothing but badness from the Emperor with him killing Opress and easily defeating Darth Maul. I think Mr. McDiarmid did a outstanding job the entire Star Wars saga but for my money the original films better define this Sith Lord. His Return of the Jedi scenes are among my favorite parts in the series.

7. Princess Leia-This is one lady that can take care of business and look good doing it! Throughout the original Star Wars trilogy she demonstrates why she is a fan favorite. Princess Leia is the sister of Luke Skywalker and the romantic interest of Han Solo. Her father is the dark Sith himself Darth Vader. With her introduction in the Stars Wars: A New Hope I had no idea how awesome her character would be as the story progressed. Leia is portrayed by the loveable actress Carrie Fisher. I think Carrie Fisher was the best actress to play Princess Leia for the balance and strength she brought to the role. She was never afraid to jump in the middle of a battle and knock a few heads. Ask Jabba the Hut if Leia isn’t all business.

6. Boba Fett-Clone or no clone, Boba Fett brief appearance in The Empire Strikes Back and his odd demise in Return of the Jedi makes him among the Star Wars faithful favorite bounty hunter in the series. Boba Fett was portrayed by Jeremy Bulloch and voice dub by Jason Wingreen in the original trilogy . It was revealed in Attack of the Clones that Boba Fett was a clone based on Jango Fett DNA. Many Star Wars fans didn’t really like the idea that Boba Fett was a copy/clone but I think the shoddier snub came when the original voice actor Jason Wingreen voice was dub over by the current prequel Jango Fett voice and actor Temuera Morrison. I personally like Jason Wingreen voice because it seems so menacing and seasoned. It was revealed later that Boba Fett did not die in Return of the Jedi after we all thought he was lunch for the Sarlacc.

5. Darth Maul-When you think of bada** only one character characterize that mantra…Darth Maul the Sith Lord you think about instantly. In 1999 when I seen the first Stars Wars prequel The Phantom Menace trailer with Maul looking bada** I just knew this guy was not to be underestimated. Trained by Darth Sidious in the art of the dark side Darth Maul is all business. Portrayed by the martial artist Ray Park, Maul is a threat to anyone he is task to fight in combat. For my comicbook fans, Darth Maul was sent on a test by Darth Sidious to dismantle the most powerful crime syndicate in the galaxy, The Black Sun. The Black Sun was no match for Darth Maul. These events predated the Phantom Menace which prove vital to truly test his training. You have to love a guy with black cloak, horns and wield a double side lightsaber with maximum effect. During Maul’s epic battle between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul would prove he was up to task to take on to Jedi, however, Maul would suffer the same fate Boba Fett did in Jedi…popular characters being killed in the most stupidest way possible. Nevertheless, Darth Maul survives the events of the Phantom Menace to meet back up with his brother Savage Opress in the Clone Wars on Netflix.

4. Yoda-This was definitely a tough call for the number four slot but I went with the Master Jedi Yoda the top guru in the Jedi Order. If Darth Maul is a Sith bada** you can say the same mantra should be used for the Jedi’s oldest member. Yoda first appeared in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back and voice by legendary voice actor Frank Oz. No other Jedi has the skill or knowledge as Master Yoda. He took on his former student Count Dooku in the second epic lightsaber dual showdown I personally seen on film up to that point in the Attack of the Clones. I know a few fans were upset that a 800 year old Yoda was flipping and jumping all over place because throughout the series up until that point Yoda couldn’t even move without his walking cane. I believe he called upon the Force to give him the power and strength to fight and defeat his former apprentice plus save Obi-Wan and Anakin butts at the climax of the Attack of the Clones. Master Yoda was able to hold off the evil Count Dooku but failed to stop Darth Sidious from taking control of the Galactic Republic. Regardless of his failure to stop the Empire Master Yoda is still a fan favorite!

3. Luke Skywalker- Let me make this clear and say this upfront…I’m a Luke Skywalker mark. In my book Luke would be higher on this but I know fans of the next guy on the list is more popular based on the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer reaction. Luke Skywalker is portrayed by actor Mark Hamill in the original trilogy. Princess Leia is the sister of Luke Skywalker and he is the trusted friend of Han Solo. Like all Star Wars fans I’m curious to see what role Luke will have in the new Star Wars film. He fought the urge to join the dark side and redeem his father Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi. Many questions are buzzing the internet on where our favorite Jedi stood after the events of Return of the Jedi.

2. Han Solo-You guessed it; Han Solo is the next fan favorite on our top ten list! Han Solo is portrayed by legendary actor Harrison Ford. Han Solo and Chewbacca are co-pilot of the famous Millennium Falcon spaceship and both are part of the Rebel Alliance which opposed the Galactic Empire. Han Solo mindset in the beginning of the series was one of a loaner. He only cared about what was important to his goals and well being. As the series progress he fell in love with Princess Leia who is portrayed by the amazing actress Carrie Fisher. Their relationship in the beginning was not the best fit for either character but as their relationship evolved and development Leia and Solo grew closer to each other. Their feelings develop further when Solo was captured by Darth Vader in Cloud City in Empire. After the rescue of Han Solo from the wicked gangster Jabba Hutt in the Return of the Jedi and the fall of the Empire their relationship came full circle. Han Solo made our list because he is the every man character but be careful around Han Solo because if you have a disagreement with him expect him to shoot first!

1. Darth Vader-Did you have the Dark Sith Lord Darth Vader as the number one bada** making our top spot? From the moment we first see Darth Vader in the opening sequence of A New Hope we knew we had a real villain on our hands. Cloaked in all black and voiced by renowned actor James Earl Jones. Darth Vader was portrayed by many actors, Hayden Christensen, David Prowse, Bob Anderson, Sebastian Shaw and Jake Lloyd over the course of six films. What makes Darth Vader such a fan favorite initially started with his introduction as a take no prisoners villain. As the series progress his development as a character evolve to one of a father fighting the urge to redeem himself from the Dark Side with the aid of his son Luke Skywalker. I think a better script, less CGI and different director could have really fleshed out Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader better in the prequels. No disrespect to George Lucas because as a Star Wars fan I still admire his work but the prequels direction was hit and miss. For example take this top ten list, only one prequel character made the list (Darth Maul). Darth Vader is known the world over and will remain a fan favorite forever!

That’s it. I know we left off a few classic characters but this was truly a tough list to put together for only 10 popular characters. I hope with the new Star Wars : The Force Awakens create some new fan favorite characters to cheer on! Tell us what you think in the comments. Did we get the list right or do we need a pitch fork to the gut? Leave the pitch forks and fire in the comments. Lol!

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The U.S-China trade war is increasingly influencing tech. Huawei has suffered a turbulent past week with key suppliers pausing work with the company, and now China’s largest chipmaker is planning to delist from the New York Stock Exchange.
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) announced in a filing published Friday that it plans to delist next month ending a 15-year spell as a public company in the U.S. The firm will file a Form 25 to delist on June 3, which is likely to see it leave the NYSE around ten days later. SMIC, which is backed by the Chinese government and state-owned shareholders, will focus on its existing Hong Kong listing going forward but there will be trading options for those holding U.S-based ADRs.
In its announcement, SMIC said it plans to delist for reasons that include limited trading volumes and “significant administrative burden and costs” around the listing and compliance with reporting.
What it doesn’t say is that this is linked to the frosty relationship between the U.S. and China, and already the company has played that rationale.
“SMIC has been considering this migration for a long time and it has nothing to do with the trade war and Huawei incident. The migration requires a long preparation and timing has coincided with the current trade rhetoric, which may lead to misconceptions,” a spokesperson told CNBC.
Still, it is impossible to ignore the current context. Huawei’s entry to a U.S. blacklist has paused its relationship with key suppliers including ARM, Qualcomm, Intel and Google, which supplies the Android OS for its phones, so SMIC’s decision to remove its financial links to the U.S. fees into fears of a bifurcation of U.S. and Chinese tech, deliberate or not.
SMIC’s shares dropped 4 percent in Hong Kong on Friday. Trading of its U.S-based ADRs crossed one million on Friday, that’s well above an above 90-day volume of nearly 150,000 per day.
The company is China’s largest chip firm, specializing in integrated circuit manufacturing with clients such as Qualcomm, Broadcom and Texas Instruments. SMIC made a profit of $746.7 million in 2018 on revenues of $3.36 billion. Its most recent Q1 results released earlier this month saw revenue fall 19 percent year-on-year.
There has always been tension around Chinese companies using U.S. public markets to go public, and not just from an American standpoint. Chinese companies are increasingly exploring other options, including Hong Kong — where Xiaomi went public last year — while a-soon-to-launch ‘science and tech’ board in Shanghai is hotly touted as an alternative destination.
The board launches in pilot mode next month, but already Chinese bankers and tech companies have found it challenging to deliver on expectations, as a Reuters report earlier this year concluded.
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If you’ve been out and about in Silicon Valley in the last month or so, chances are you’ve heard of “Alpha Girls,” a new book written by journalist Julian Guthrie about four investors who’ve made a big impact on the world of startup investing. The book recognizes them — Theresia Gouw, MJ Elmore, Sonja Hoel Perkins, and Magdalena Yesil — because they are interesting individuals, each with very different upbringings and skill sets and areas of expertise.
But they also succeeded in the venture industry during a time when they were almost always the only woman in the room, or at the conference, or in the middle of a team-building event. Elmore signed on with IVP in 1982, becoming a general partner by age 28. Yesil cofounded the dot com high-flier CyberCash before joining USVP as a partner in 1998. Perkins’s star also rose quickly. By age 29, she was a general partner at Menlo Ventures, staying nearly 22 years before launching her own venture fund. Down the street, Gouw was building a track record at Accel, where she spent 15 years before cofounding her own firm in 2014, Aspect Ventures.
We talked with Guthrie earlier today about these so-called alpha women and how they differ from the many other people who Guthrie has spent time with across her 20-year reporting career with the San Francisco Chronicle, during which time she authored earlier books about Larry Ellison and Peter Diamandis. We asked how much time she spent with each (“I think they were ready to block my calls and texts,” she laughed), and how long she worked on the book, including to write it (roughly two years).
But what we even more wanted to know was whether after working on the book, Guthrie views the venture industry as any more or less welcoming to women than at the outset of her research. “It is not as bad as it’s portrayed, in my opinion,” Guthrie told us. “There are success stories.”
Still, Guthrie noted that each of these investors had to grapple with much that a man might not. Some of these were mundane but constant considerations, including, “Should you take notes or not? When do you speak up? How do you network? Do you go to these boondoggles when it’s all guys?”
Said Guthrie, “Some of these things were shocking to me, coming from my own very gender-neutral experience as a reporter.”
Yet there were other ways they had to alter themselves. She says Elmore quickly learned that if she wore a dress to a board meeting, for example, it would elicit compliments that weren’t necessarily expected, so she soon cut her hair and began wearing suits. Meanwhile, Perkins and Gouw participated in male-dominated events on the theory that you can’t win if you don’t play the game. For Perkins, this meant skiing alongside former Navy Seals when she was still a relative novice on the slopes. For Gouw, it was getting elbowed in the stomach during a competitive game of flag football. It was “not so much about emulating men but steering the spotlight away from their femininity, so it didn’t become a distraction,” Guthrie told us.
Interestingly, one of the more fundamental ways the women seemed to differ from their male colleagues was in their dealings with Guthrie herself, she said. She noted that many of the men she has interviewed — including Ellison, Diamandis, Richard Branson and Elon Musk — have been “happy to talk about their vulnerabilities, because it kind of rounds them out. It softens them in a nice way.” She observed that women who’ve enjoyed success meanwhile have a “much harder time sharing their mistakes, their regrets, their vulnerabilities.” Because women are often provided less room for missteps — or they perceive that they have less room, “I had to tell [the investors] again and again that it was important that we tell the good, bad, and ugly — not because I was seeking scandal but because I wanted these stories to be honest.”
Before we parted ways, we asked Guthrie about women and money, after she volunteered that it’s a “tricky issue for women. If you go after too much, you’re greedy; if you marry someone with money, you’re a gold digger.”
She pointed to a Forbes piece from last summer that called Gouw “America’s richest female venture capitalist.” Gouw apparently felt uneasy about the story and participated in it mostly to draw attention to her work with the advocacy organization she helped cofound, called AllRaise. But as Gouw told Guthrie, it’s had a somewhat surprising impact. “She was a serious player before, but it kind of gave her street cred” with those who pay attention to Forbes’s Midas List and other forms of score-keeping.
It’s a good thing, suggests Guthrie, who has been promoting her book to women in numerous industries, including in homebuilding and law and in medicine. “You see the same barriers across them all,” Guthrie said. “But you’re also seeing these women’s groups and networks becoming more powerful across all these industries, where women are speaking out and creating these sisterhoods.”
They’re agreeing to more hard-earned self-promotion, too. They see it as an increasingly competitive tool, and, as Guthrie puts it, “It’s not boasting when it’s based on fact.”
Pictured above, left to right: Theresia Gouw, Sonja Perkins, MJ Elmore, Magdalena Yesil, and Julian Guthrie.
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Microsoft appears to be readying a special Fortnite-style version of the company’s Xbox One S console. WinFuture reports that Microsoft will release a purple edition of the Xbox One S in the coming weeks, in a bundle designed for Fortnite fans. The Xbox One S Fortnite Limited Edition will reportedly include a new “Dark Vertex” skin and 2000 V-Bucks in-game currency. The bundle is also said to include a month of Xbox Live Gold, EA Access, and Xbox Game Pass.
It’s not clear exactly when Microsoft will announce this new color variant, but it’s rumored to debut at $299 with 1TB of storage and the Blu-ray optical drive. This certainly isn’t the first time Microsoft has customized an Xbox One S console for a game. Microsoft created a special...
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Brian Krebs has revealed that a company that primarily works in real estate insurance has left as many as 885 million records exposed on its website — going back to 2003. First American Financial Corp’s big mistake should have been obvious to anybody who would have given a second thought to security. If you had the URL for any document on its website, you could simply add or subtract one to a number in the URL to access another document.
Given the type of business this company is in, those records include incredibly private information. Krebs spoke with Ben Shoval, who brought the exposure to his attention and who says the documents potentially included “Social Security numbers, drivers licenses, account statements, and even internal...
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